What Is Listeria Monocytogenes: 30 Tons of Cheese Product Recalled Over Contamination Fears

What is listeria monocytogenes? Food Safety News has announced the recall of about 30 tons of salad bowls produced and marketed by Ready Pac Foods Inc. over fears that its cheese could be exposed to listeria monocytogenes. Sargento Foods equally ended its relationship with a cheese supplier over fears of listeria contamination before recalling its products. The food market in the US is now rife with food recalls over fears of listeria contamination, or salmonella contamination at times.

Ready Pac Foods recalling 59,225 pounds of chicken salad bowls

About 30 tons of its chicken salad bowls are being recalled due to growing concerns over potential listeria contamination. This translates to about 59,225 pounds of Pure Picante Blazin' Hot chicken salad bowls produced between January 17 to February 17 of this year. These products have an expiry date of March 4 and so customers are advised to discard the products if they had bought it and to not consume them at all, Food Safety News reports.

What is listeria monocytogenes? Although no illnesses have been reported with this company's foods, customers are advised to return purchased products to point of purchase or throw away the foods rather than consume them. Anyone who has consumed the affected products are advised to visit any medical center if they feel sick, even up to 70 days after consuming the recalled chicken salad bowls. Signs of infection with listeria monocytogenes are stiff neck, fever, muscle pains, convulsions, diarrhea and gastrointestinal disturbances among other symptoms.

Sargento Foods recalls cheese products and fires supplier

In a related development, Sargento Foods has also recalled cheese products and fired its cheese supplier over fears that they contain listeria monocytogenes, CNN reports. Sargento cut its business relationship with Deutsch Kase Haus when it was evident the Longhorn Colby cheese it supplied was potentially tainted with listeria. The company announced that no one has been affected yet but it took the recall decision out of abundant caution.

What is listeria monocytogenes? Listeria monocytogenes is an infection that affects people that consume food tainted with the bacteria. It can be quite deadly for older folks and people with weakened immune system and as well as for pregnant women. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said about 1,600 cases of listeria infection are reported annually in the US with about 260 people dying from exposure.